Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams Prepare for Start of Season

David Dudzinski ‘14 takes a shot during the 2012-13 season. Image by Peter Cooke

The sound of basketballs echoing in an empty gym will soon be replaced by cheering fans as the men’s and women’s basketball programs get ready to kick off their seasons. The first game for the men’s team will be played against Harvard University at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. on Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. followed by their first home game on Nov. 13 against Sacred Heart University at 7 p.m. The women’s team hosts Dartmouth College on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Hart Center.

The women’s home opener has also been selected as the Student Government Association’s “Game of the Week,” which promotes attendance at home athletic events and promotes at least one event per season per varsity team. There will be pizza, rally towels for the crowd, and free beads and pom poms in collaboration with residence life and housing for first-year students who wear their Sader Nation shirts to the game. Before the game, the resident assistants in the first-year dorms will be holding school spirit activities, including face painting, to help encourage attendance.

“We are expecting a very large student crowd at next Friday’s game,” said Anthony Russo ’14, who founded SGA Game of the Week in 2012 with Payton Shubrick ‘15. “Our goal is to make all teams feel appreciated and to get as many students as possible excited about attending athletic events.”

“We are very excited for the upcoming season and to get back on the court and show our Holy Cross fans what our 2013-14 team is all about,” said Ann McInerny, associate head coach of women’s basketball. “We are especially looking forward to opening up at the Hart Center in front of a packed house of Holy Cross supporters, alumni, family and friends. That support is what makes Holy Cross such a special place and will play a vital role in helping us to reach our goal of becoming Patriot League champions.”

Last year, the women were 18-14 overall and 8-6 in the Patriot League, with four starters and 11 letter winners returning to the team, while the men’s basketball team finished 12-18 overall and 4-10 in the Patriot League and has three starters and 10 letter winners returning.

“We play a tough non-conference schedule highlighted by three games against Harvard University, University of North Carolina and University of Michigan, but our guys had a very productive summer and fall,” said Milan Brown, head coach of the men’s team. “We can already see some improvements in each players’ game and our early practices have been very competitive. We like what we have seen early from our freshmen, and I have been inspired by the leadership of Dave Dudzinski ‘14 and Justin Burrell ‘15. We are excited about the near and distant future of our program.”